Ariel and the One in a Thousand Wind
by MAlainaKay
Summary: After Ariel left Bertie in search of "the One in a Thousand Wind" what did he find? The wind was not all that Ariel imagine it would be, and the memory of his time with Bertie haunts him. Join Ariel as he struggles with himself to find what Bertie really means to him.


Ariel and the One in a Thousand Wind

"Freedom," the word rang through Ariel's mind over and over.

A stab of guilt pierced his stomach. "You left Bertie! How could you?" his conscience asked.

"I couldn't help myself; the call was just too strong."

"She's all alone, she'll miss you."

"She has Nate, and the pixies."

Ariel's conscience didn't get the chance to come up with a clever retort to that, for there among all the other ordinary winds was his one in a thousand wind. It spoke to Ariel in the language of winds shushing the obnoxious voice. The wind grew warm around Ariel, and swirled around him in an embrace. All thoughts of the girl he left fled his mind; the wind was all that Bertie wasn't, Bertie's embraces had always felt somehow restricting, the wind's made him feel even less bound then before. Silver hair swirling like ribbons Ariel leaned into the embrace letting it tug him away. The landscape blurred farmland and towns merging into a child's finger painting. After what seemed like a lifetime and only a second the wind stopped leading so eagerly, and simply suspended the spirit within itself, allowing Ariel to drift into sleep.

The wind stirred, waking Ariel from his slumber. Dawn had just cracked painting the sky in warm tendrils of colour. Dark purple clouds floated in the furthest reassess of the sky, almost the same colour that Bertie did hair for her production of Hamlet. Ariel grinned at the memory of Mrs. Edith's dismay at this. The wind stirred once again fully jolting the spirit into reality. "You grow tired of me already?" the wind murmured into his ear, "Am I rely so dull that a mere girl takes your thoughts away from me?"

Ariel's grin faded from his lips, "Of course not, the memories are simply fresh; she will fade from them in time."

Though he thought the words were true they rang false in the speaker's ears. "Do I need such a physical form to keep you?" the wind ferociously replied, "then so be it!"

The wind roared in anger turning to a wild tempest, energy surged raising the hairs on Ariel's neck. Suddenly all went still, and a figure emerged from the dark clouds that had gathered. Charcoal hair splayed, coming just short of her shoulders, and her translucent skin shone with all the colours of the sunrise. Wind pushed up connecting with her feet as she moved towards the stunned spirit. She snapped her fingers and music sprang from an unknown source. "Dance with me," The Wind beaconed, holding out her spindly fingers.

Ariel snapped out of his trance and met her hand with his, pulling her into an embrace. The music carried their steps through the skies, their bodies meeting lightly; they swirled and dipped in perfect harmony. Ariel closed his eyes and was transported to a different dance, far away, in a theatre storeroom. The music shifted taking up a livelier tune; opening his eyes Ariel found The Wind had been replaced by a blue haired, slightly confused looking girl. A joyful sound escaped his lips as they whirled through the dusty antiques. Bertie let go off his hand as the final cord struck, replaced once again by a paler, angrier looking girl. Icicles formed on Ariel's cheek as the wind slapped him. "How could you I gave you my love, and this, this is how you repay me!"

Her eyes softened a bit, and she took Ariel's hands in hers. "It's just that I finally found you and," she whimpered looking like a lost child, "and I'm so scared you will leave me again! Just promise me you will never leave me, bind yourself to me and we can be free."

It took Ariel a few seconds to think about this sentence. "You speak in circles, my Wind; if I am bound to you I will be a prisoner."

"You were also Beatrice's prisoner, yet you loved her," the wind gasped, stumbling for ground.

"She freed me twice, for she knew it was freedom I desired above all else. She freed me even though she knew I would leave, knew I would break her heart. She loved me more then she loved her own desires; your childish games are not love!" These words rang true in the spirits ears, and he knew the wind sensed the power in his words as well.

"She will not take you back, she doesn't need you; she has Nate, and the pixies," the wind mocked his previous comment.

"That is not for you to decide," his voice was calm and controlled, "she may not want me, but I will never know if I don't try."

With that the spirit turned from The Wind, zooming the way he had come. One word rang through Ariel's mind over and over, "Bertie."


End file.
